The flavor of butternut squash, when dressed up, closely resembles pumpkin. It's chock full of antioxidants and fiber too!
This crisp is a perfect fall dessert. Without the guilt that a typical pumpkin pie will bring. And with more fiber AND protein!
Butternut Crisp
Serves 8
1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2" cubes
1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 cup raw sugar
Olive oil spray
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup flaxmeal
1/4 cup bran
2 Tbsp whole wheat flour
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 Tbsp water
1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup olive oil
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a round 9" baking dish (or 8x8" square) sprayed lightly with olive oil, toss together butternut, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and raw sugar.
In a medium bowl, combine oats, flaxmeal, bran, flour, walnuts and salt. Add brown sugar and mix to distribute evenly. Add water, vanilla, and olive oil and mix well.
Sprinkle oat mixture over the squash. Bake on the middle rack for 35-40 minutes, or until the squash is soft and topping is crisp and lightly browned. Serve warm.
Nutrition Info per 1 serving: 242 calories, 14 g fat (12 g unsaturated), 4.5 g protein, 24 g carbohydrates, 4.5 g fiber
These are fish tacos for winter weather. No grill needed! And who can say no to the creamy goodness of avocado?
Shredded Fish Tacos with Creamy Avocado Slaw
Serves 4
8 small soft corn tortillas
1 lb fresh white fish filet (I used halibut)
1 cup of your favorite salsa
SLAW ** best made 1-2 hours prior to serving
1 cup finely shredded green cabbage
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/3 cup chopped white onion
1 small avocado, chopped
3 Tbsp fresh lime juice
2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp honey
To make slaw: add chopped avocado, lime juice, vinegar, salt and honey to a food processor. Combine until a smooth puree is formed.
In a covered bowl, combine cabbage, onion and cilantro. Add avocado mixture and toss to coat. Cover and place in refrigerator for 1-2 hours.
For fish: preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place fish, skin side down in a baking dish. Cover with salsa, place in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until fish easily flakes with a fork.
Remove skin from fish, then shred the filet with forks. Mix well with the salsa that it was cooked in.
Serve shredded fish topped with slaw on corn tortillas. Garnish with corn kernels if desired.
Nutrition Info per 2 small tacos: 327 calories, 10.5 g fat (7.5 g unsaturated), 28 g protein, 26 g carbohydrates, 6 g fiber
I love the time of year when you can replace the fat in just about anything with pumpkin and it's just as enjoyable.
I said just about anything. This is one of them:
Light Fudgey Pumpkin Brownies
Serves 8
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup high quality unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup all purpose flour
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9" round or 8x8" square baking dish with baking spray.
In a large bowl, whisk together pumpkin, oil, cocoa, and sugar. Add eggs, spice, and vanilla and whisk until just mixed. Add the flour, a little at a time, until combined (do not overmix).
Spread batter evenly in the baking dish. Bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (almost clean will do as well for fudgier texture). Allow to cool for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with additional pumpkin pie spice if desired prior to cutting into 8 or 9 equal pieces and serving.
Nutrition Info per 1 brownie: 146 calories, 3.5 g fat, 3.5 g protein, 26 g carbohydrates, 2.5 g fiber
By no means is this a tutorial on how to raise your child, it is simply a verbal collection of my thoughts and experiences during my first year as a mother.
First off, let me say that I LOVE being a mother. I know, most women say this. But I REALLY LOVE being a mother.
Secondly, I could not do what I do without the most amazing partner in the world. My hubbster is an equal partner in this child rearing business and acts as though he is daily. WE could not do what we do without the help of my mother-in-law, who watches our wee babe when we work. In my house. YES I AM LUCKY. I know this. Props to all you single mommas out there. And props to those mommas who work full time.
The most precious lesson that I have learned from my wee babe in the past year:
Sometimes, you need to LET IT GO
Let's start at the beginning..............
Before I birthed my wee babe, I read books. You know, those books. The ones about bringing up baby to be a respectful human being.......starting at day ONE. So I had in my mind what I was going to do, and what kind of momma I was going to be.
Here comes my wee babe. Not in the way my Type A self expected (in a tub at the birthing center). She came in her own way (after 31 hours of labor in the hospital). And, yes, it was as everyone told me. The first time I laid eyes on her I was forever changed. For the better.
For the most part, the first couple of months went as expected. We were tired. She was amazing. I birthed a good feeder and was blessed with the ability to breast feed.
Fast forward a few months. Enter my Type A personality again. Now is the time when those books tell you that you should be doing things a certain way. At certain times. I tried. And tried. And tried to make it happen. I sought advice of friends. And I tried. And I bought more books. And I read blogs. WHY wouldn't my wee babe do the things that she was supposed to do? She wouldn't sleep when she was supposed to sleep. She liked to eat when she was hungry, not on a schedule.
I spent so much time worried that I was a bad mother (ahhh- the guilt!!) because my baby didn't sleep well. And because I COULDN'T let her cry it out. (Props again to those who can and do.)
I fought my natural instincts for months, trying to schedule my wee babe. And then, then. The most miraculous thing happened. I gave up trying.
When my wee babe was around 6 months, I let it GO. I followed my instincts. Why wouldn't I? She was following hers. Something in me felt that her sporadic eating/sleeping patterns was related to my milk supply and her internal cues. Duh, right?
And the past 6 months have been AMAZING.
She doesn't sleep through the night.
But she's happy. And so healthy.
And that makes me happy. At the sacrifice of precious sleep.
A few other lessons that I learned:
1. Don't feel pressured to sleep when you babe is sleeping even thought that's what everyone will tell you to do. My Type A self was most relaxed if I checked things off of my list while she was napping.
2. Being in great shape pre-baby + breast feeding = easier time getting back your bod. But it does take some TIME.
3. Some women have a lot of lipase in their milk (me). This makes storage difficult, because the fats are quickly digested (good for baby, not good for storage) and the taste changes (gets "soapy" or spoiled tasting). This does not mean that you cannot pump and store your milk. You can scald your milk on the stovetop (barely steaming) and it stores fine. This does not mean that your milk is "bad". It just makes it not as tasty for babe. MANY women experience this but it is rarely discussed.
I am so grateful to my wee babe for teaching me so much about life and love. She has taught me so much more than I ever could have learned in a lifetime without her.
As usual here in the great state of Montana, we had a snowstorm in September. I know, it's maddening. And it causes a PANIC in those of us with gardens. Especially those of us with a plentiful green tomato crop yet to redden.
Instead of praying for a miracle this year, I picked those green tomatoes. You know me better than to batter and fry them. I made salsa!!
This is a mild salsa with a lovely pepitas (pumpkin seed) crunch. To spice it up, add another jalapeno.
Roasted Green Tomato and Pepitas Salsa
Serves 4
5 medium green tomatoes, quartered
1/2 large yellow onion, cut into large cubes
1 jalapeno, seeded and sliced
1/2 tsp salt
Olive oil spray
2 1/2 Tbsp lime juice
1/4 cup salted roasted pepitas
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with olive oil spray. Place tomato quarters, onion and jalapeno onto the baking sheet. Spray with olive oil spray, then sprinkle with salt. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the edges of tomatoes and onions turn lightly brown. Remove from oven.
Place contents of baking sheet into a large food processor and add lime juice and pepitas. Mix until a smooth puree is formed, adding additional salt as needed to taste. Place in refrigerator for 2-24 hours prior to serving to enhance flavors.
Nutrition Info per 1/4 cup: 71 calories, 3 g fat, 2 g protein, 5 g carbohydrates
What better way to use up your abundance of apples? Pizza! What? Try it, you might like it!!
Chicken Waldorf Pizza with Blue Cheese and Balsamic Drizzle
Serves 4
4- 10" tortillas (or other prepared pizza crust/pita/flatbread)
Olive oil spray
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped apples
1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
1 cup cooked and shredded boneless skinless chicken breast
2 Tbsp finely chopped walnuts
Salt and fresh ground black pepper
3/4 cup balsamic vinegar
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Place tortillas or crusts onto baking sheets. Spray each lightly with olive oil, then top each with 2 Tbsp mozzarella cheese, 1 Tbsp celery, 2 Tbsp apples, 1 Tbsp blue cheese, 1/4 cup shredded chicken, and 1/2 Tbsp walnuts. Sprinkle each with salt and pepper.
Place sheets into the oven and bake for 5 minutes, then transfer crusts directly to the rack and bake for an additional 5 minutes, or crusts are crispy and cheese has melted.
While pizzas cook, heat balsamic vinegar in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a low boil, stirring continuously for 15 minutes, or until thickened to maple syrup consistency.
Drizzle each cooked pizza with balsamic syrup. Cut into quarters and serve.
Nutrition Info per 1 pizza: 263 calories, 10 g fat, 16 g protein, 25 g carbohydrates, 2 g fiber
1. It's October! Halloween is upon us! What are you dressing up as?
Here's some ideas:
How about this?
Or this?
Or get the whole family together for this?
And OMG I can't get over this cuteness.
My babe? Well, here's a sneak peak at my idear......
2. October is the perfect time for all things pumpkin! Like these. Love the pumpkin seed addition. So subtle. Genius.
3. I've always wanted to make one of these. But holy cannoli. I just don't have the patience for it! But it is beautiful!
4. OK. Just one more pumpkin recipe. I've never been a fan of savory pumpkin but these, these, may change my mind.
5. This looks pretty perfect. And simple. Tailgate maybe?
6. And YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME. This looks amazing. It would pair perfectly with these.
